Spring has not sprung in MN

[BobB]

We still have snow covering the ground in April!   

My '98 Tourer is stored in my basement workshop over each winter where I perform annual maintenance, clean, polish and make improvements.  Usually that is about four months of the year.  This winter had draaaaged on.  The problem is, to move the bike from my workshop to the garage, I have to go across the front lawn.  Last Thursday I blew a path from the workshop door to the front walkway in hopes that the ice and show clear.  That worked but the lawn was still very wet.

After work today, I got impatient (MY BAD) and tried to make the move.  My beautiful Jade Lady is now

parked

on my lawn with her rear tire buried at least six inches deep in mud, almost down to the cannons.  Those Avon Cobra's are not much good in these conditions.  She will not move.  I covered her and left her there for the night while a formulate a plan to get her out.  I think I just have to enlist some neighbors.  Needles to say I'm      

[wiggydotcom]

Oh, wow...I feel for you Plunker. Normally by this time of year, I've been riding to work for a couple weeks. I'm riding to work tomorrow for the first time this yr.

Hope you're able to get her unburied without too much of a headache.

It might be cool if you post some pics of this "adventure".

[saddlesore]

 A couple of years ago I pulled out of my driveway and in trying to avoid ice I hit the shoulder on the the other side of the road.  I got the front tire out but the rear ( Avon ) stayed in.
I made a rut about 30 feet long before I got it out.  Then a mud trail for  a quarter mile.

Patience my man, patience.  Spring will come.  
I have about 500 miles on my bike this year. Driving between snow drifts on the hi way.

[Davemn]

Plunker, I am north of you. I have done the same thing. Cant go forward, cant back up and cant put the kickstand down. What a pickle. That big rear tire is worthless in mud.  I have learned to be patient in the spring. Good luck.

[cookiedough]

My HD neighbor fired up his ultra classic in his back garage and was outside waiting for him to get stuck in the soft/squishy grass.  He made it out but wasn't pretty.  Patience is hard to come by this time of year.  I'm getting my 250cc scooter out tomorrow but going to wait until  the roads are washed with 2-3 heavy rainfalls first because there is tons of salt residue and crud all over the roads.  Roads are free of snow but there are tons of snowbanks all over still here in southern WI will be another 2-3 weeks before they are gone, but will NOT wait that long - got the urge like you MNights!

Question:  I assume you put a board down for the kickstand otherwise you may find the entire bike laying on it's side in the morning.

[Moonshot_1]

We still have snow covering the ground in April!   

My '98 Tourer is stored in my basement workshop over each winter where I perform annual maintenance, clean, polish and make improvements.  Usually that is about four months of the year.  This winter had draaaaged on.  The problem is, to move the bike from my workshop to the garage, I have to go across the front lawn.  Last Thursday I blew a path from the workshop door to the front walkway in hopes that the ice and show clear.  That worked but the lawn was still very wet.

After work today, I got impatient (MY BAD) and tried to make the move.  My beautiful Jade Lady is now

parked

on my lawn with her rear tire buried at least six inches deep in mud, almost down to the cannons.  Those Avon Cobra's are not much good in these conditions.  She will not move.  I covered her and left her there for the night while a formulate a plan to get her out.  I think I just have to enlist some neighbors.  Needles to say I'm      

Hmmm. Well, you're in Minn. so surely you know someone with a boat and trailer. You want the hand crank boat winch on the trailer and the friend.

A couple of rachet straps around the bike and the boat winch attached to that and sit on the bike while the friend cranks the winch. Nice and slow. Should come right out. In theory.

[MNBill]

Just a thought,,, blow the snow, move the bike right away before the ground under it thaws from the sun. My yard is mud too and I still have alot of snow in it. Yesterday it was close to 50, alot of bikes out around here. I am still preparing my convertible for a spring sale, should get it listed in the next two weeks then I can get time to do some riding. Hopefully the sand is off the roads by then. I still only ride afternoons for a while though, I have found ice from the frost in shady curves early in the year, adds a whole new meaning to laying it into a curve. 

[#2944]

Did that many years ago with a Goldwing, second lesson was..... don't have wife push from the rear end.... the mud came off her okay but not the clothes... 
Zots

[~ Timbrwolf]

....definite bummer. ...I feel for ya brother. ...living up here in the Northern Woods of Michigan, Im pretty much in the same boat. Over the years Ive learned to deal with with the long winters...a little better....but I agree...this one is just dragging on and on....just caught the morning weather and the guy said were supposed to get....3 more inches of Heavy Wet Snow Saturday....but finally in the "50,s" on Monday and Tuesday with rain and "thunder"......


.....till then I,ll just be wandering round the house...*mumbling*..
.next week....its gonna break next week..  

[Hooter]

   If I remember right you promised me that the snow would stop and I would have none over here?Well what happened? Sorry about the being stuck, I think you will need your neighbors help. Just think, now you get to clean it again.

[G-Man]

Been hovering around the freezing point every morning this week ovah hea in New Yawk!

[BobB]

Update, well before going to work this morning I decided to attempt to get out of that hole while the ground was hard from last night's frost.  It worked to a point, about three feet.  I had a piece of plywood under the bike and the ground did not freeze there.  So that is where the back tire again stopped.  The plan is to do the same tomorrow morning before 7:00 AM and see how far I can get.
If I do not succeed in getting off the lawn, I'll enlist my next door neighbor and his four wheeler.
 
       

[alph]

well, you found out one thing, the frost is out!!

my cycle's stored in my shed, it's about 200' from the shed to the drive way, the best time to move it is EARLY in the morning when it's been below freezing the night before.  yeah, don't ask how i know that, but i think you have a good idea.....

[Mn. Norseman]

I am standing at the top of my drive looking at the city road (gravel) (only one in town)  I think there might be a spring under it. City closed the road but there are still ruts (deep) I'm perrty sure there is a car, truck, or train that sank out of sight. Gonna be a while  before I can get out. Bummed

[R J]

In 1998, I got MGM stuck in the yard getting out of the back garage.    It had an approach and then I had gravel laid down.    1st winter that road path going goer than a pig pen.     I thought I could hit the grass at a pretty good clip and make it to the street.     All the snow was off of this gravel path.     I made it about 5 feet and MGM dropped in the mud.   I had a nice winch on my bike trailer.    Put the trailer on the back of my John Deer snow blower, and backed it into the mud.  Had a piece of plywood that was long enough to get to the bike.     Hollered at my 2 kids who were home, and the wife.      Daughter sat on the bike, wife and son steadied the bike I run the electric winch.   Got the bike to the trailer, and pulled it into the garage with the son still on it.

MGM set there for about 5 or 6 weeks before it dried p enough to get to the street.     

Wife decided we were going to add a couple rooms onto the back of the house.  The contractor also had a cement crew, so they laid me a driveway to the street.

Shore do make it easy to get the snow blower tractor out and onto the sidewalk, backing the Chevy Trike out, it was $$$$$ damn well spent.

[..]

Thanks AL.

Global warming sucks.

You prat.

[old2soon]

Having a few times resided where waiting on the spring thaw is normal-well i feel ya bro.  My current res has a rather well established gravel driveway and the Phatt Ghurl is the only occupant of the garage.  Our salt and sand residues have been both rained away and the state had their sweeper trucks working to remove left over sand.  I will be watching my favorite twistys closely for a couple more days BEFORE i get too leaned over.  Hope it drys up sooner rather than later for my northern bros.  RIDE SAFE.

[..]

Having a few times resided where waiting on the spring thaw is normal-well i feel ya bro.  My current res has a rather well established gravel driveway and the Phatt Ghurl is the only occupant of the garage.  Our salt and sand residues have been both rained away and the state had their sweeper trucks working to remove left over sand.  I will be watching my favorite twistys closely for a couple more days BEFORE i get too leaned over.  Hope it drys up sooner rather than later for my northern bros.  RIDE SAFE.

Rain on roads dirty from ice gravel/sand and rock salt is good. Washes away that crap.

[hotglue #43]

You could always go 'darkside'

[BobB]

Well the saga of the Jade Lady on the lawn is over.  As of 7:05 AM this morning, my Valk is parked in the third stall of the garage.  It was 26^o this morning and the top surface of the ground was just hard enough.  Thanks to all for your sympathy, support and suggestions.  I bet there was a few chuckles as well.    

I again have some cleaning to do, I had polished out the rear wheel and had the rear end spic & span   while I had the rear drive apart this winter.  I also have a lawn to repair but that may be left to the graders and landscapers covering a spot where we dropped in a new septic tank last year.  I may have to look into Astro Turf.   

The subject of this thread still applies although it got up to 55^o yesterday.

[BobB]

Thanks Hotglue#43, but I'm not going to try climbing Widow Maker this summer.  I win the chuckle bet.   

[Hooter]

You could always go 'darkside'

That might be a little rough on the back??

[ricoman]

We still have snow covering the ground in April!   

My '98 Tourer is stored in my basement workshop over each winter where I perform annual maintenance, clean, polish and make improvements.  Usually that is about four months of the year.  This winter had draaaaged on.  The problem is, to move the bike from my workshop to the garage, I have to go across the front lawn.  Last Thursday I blew a path from the workshop door to the front walkway in hopes that the ice and show clear.  That worked but the lawn was still very wet.

After work today, I got impatient (MY BAD) and tried to make the move.  My beautiful Jade Lady is now

parked

on my lawn with her rear tire buried at least six inches deep in mud, almost down to the cannons.  Those Avon Cobra's are not much good in these conditions.  She will not move.  I covered her and left her there for the night while a formulate a plan to get her out.  I think I just have to enlist some neighbors.  Needles to say I'm      

it's good you are mad
I'd be embarassed to have anyone see or know I pulled a stunt like that

[Former BMW Guy]

....and for those interested; Moon Motors in Monticello, MN are having their open house tomorrow.....25% off.
Its snowing now.

JP

[T.P.]

....and for those interested; Moon Motors in Monticello, MN are having their open house tomorrow.....25% off.
Its snowing now.

JP

And the Moon Motors Open House link

http://www.moonmotorsports.com/event_list_detail.asp?ecode=605755&smonth=3&syear=2013&emonth=4&eyear=2013&location=0&Submit=Search&inputpage=1

Rain today Looks like we got rid of all of the winters salt deposits,  Time to ride!  T.P.

[hotglue #43]

Thanks Hotglue#43, but I'm not going to try climbing Widow Maker this summer.  I win the chuckle bet.   

Glad ya got her back in and cleaned up!!!!   Sorry.. I couldn't help myself...